Gotham by Gaslight

Graphic novel featuring Batman

For the film based on this graphic novel, see Batman: Gotham by Gaslight.

Gotham by Gaslight

Cover to Gotham by Gaslight (February 1989) by Mike Mignola.

Publication information
Publisher| DC Comics
Format| One-shot
Genre|

* Steampunk, superhero

Publication date| February 1989
No. of issues| 1
Main character(s)| Batman
Jack the Ripper
Creative team
Written by| Brian Augustyn
Artist(s)| Mike Mignola
Inker(s)| P. Craig Russell
Colorist(s)| David Hornung
Editor(s)| Mark Waid
Collected editions
Gotham by Gaslight| ISBN 0-930289-67-6
Gotham by Gaslight (inc. Batman: Master of the Future)| ISBN 1-4012-1153-4

Gotham by Gaslight is a DC Comics one-shot by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell and an introduction (written in the character of Jack the Ripper) by Robert Bloch. The story revolves around a 19th-century version of Bruce Wayne making his debut as Batman just as Jack the Ripper has arrived in Gotham City.

Gotham by Gaslight is considered to be the first Elseworlds story in which DC Comics characters from alternate timelines or realities are featured in stories outside of the DC Universe canon. At the time the story was first published, the Elseworlds concept had not been established yet and initial printings were not labeled as such. Subsequent printings of Gotham by Gaslight, however, have incorporated the Elseworlds logo. It spawned two sequels, Batman: Master of the Future (1991), also written by Augustyn, with art by Eduardo Barreto, and a third book in the series, Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age, which began publishing in June 2024.[1]

## Plot summaries

[edit]

### Gotham by Gaslight

[edit]

In 1889, Bruce Wayne is on a tour of Europe which ends in Vienna. There, he is studying under Dr. Sigmund Freud. Bruce tells Freud that he has a recurring dream in which he recalls the murder of his parents and decides he must return to Gotham City. On the return trip, Bruce meets Jacob Packer, an old family friend whom he calls Uncle Jake, who has also returned from a trip to Europe.

Shortly after arriving, Inspector Gordon informs Wayne about criminal gangs currently operating in Gotham. Gordon also shows Bruce the case of a man who poisoned his wife and tried to commit suicide with the poison, which left him alive with a permanent grin. Bruce takes up the mantle of Batman to fight criminals on the street.

At the same time, a series of murders of women take place and some people begin to suspect that Batman is the murderer. It is soon discovered that Jack the Ripper has come to Gotham, as the murders in Gotham City seem to resemble the Ripper murders in London.

After a search of Wayne Manor, a bloody knife is found under Bruce's bed and Bruce is arrested. A trial is held in which Uncle Jake is Bruce's defense attorney. After the trial, Bruce is convicted of being the Ripper and sentenced to be hanged for his crimes. Bruce is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum.

Once Bruce is in prison, Gordon gives him all the documentation on the crimes. Bruce toils day and night to try to figure out how he can get the Ripper. Just one day before the execution, Bruce learns the Ripper's identity by discovering he had the skill of a surgeon and used a knife that belonged to the medical group who worked with his father. Bruce escapes from prison with the help of Alfred and heads straight for the Ripper.

Batman interrupts the Ripper as he is about to claim his next victim. Batman chases the Ripper throughout Gotham and the two eventually come to a stop at the grave of Thomas and Martha Wayne, where it is revealed that Packer is the Ripper. Packer had been trained in medicine and law with the money of Thomas, but he was driven insane by Martha's rejection of his advances. Since then, he had been killing women who resembled Martha to silence the laughter of Martha he heard in his head.

Packer reveals that he hired an assassin to kill Bruce's parents. Gordon appears at this time with the police and Batman tells them to arrest Packer. Packer confesses that he is the Ripper and tries to kill Batman, but Gordon shoots Packer dead at the last minute. Batman disappears into the shadows, leaving Gordon to take in the body of Jack the Ripper.

### Batman: Master of the Future

[edit]

In 1892, three years later, Bruce has "retired" his alter-ego and is engaged to be married. Having brought his parents' murderer to justice, he has come to regard Batman as a childish fancy, and intends to devote his life to more serious pursuits. Others believe that Gotham City needs Batman more than ever, namely now-Commissioner Gordon and Bruce's own fiancée, Julie Madison, whom Batman rescued from a late-night assault.

At a City Council meeting, Mayor Tolliver (the former Police Commissioner who aggressively prosecuted Bruce as the suspected Jack the Ripper) is promoting Gotham's hosting of the "American Discovery Exposition" to market Gotham as the "City of the Future". The meeting is interrupted by the flamboyant Alexandre LeRoi, who demands that he be proclaimed master of the city, or else he will burn it to the ground. He leaps out the window before he can be arrested, and Tolliver insists that the fair proceed.

While the fairgrounds are being erected, a Maxim gun on an automated carriage rolls in and opens fire. Bruce, in attendance, pushes Tolliver out of the line of fire and disables the machine.

On the opening day of the fair, LeRoi kidnaps Tolliver from his mansion and takes him aboard a Zeppelin, forcing him to watch as LeRoi focuses a giant burning glass on the fair's main pavilion, before LeRoi throws Tolliver over the side to his death. Bruce is desperate to act, when Alfred arrives with his costume.

With the police fully occupied, Julie runs into the burning pavilion to rescue a small girl, but both of them are trapped by falling debris. Batman saves them, then seizes a glider from one of the exhibitions and takes off after LeRoi's airship. The two men engage in a brutal rapier duel that disables LeRoi's robotic pilot "Antonio", causing the airship to drift off course and become unstable. Noticing this, Batman urges LeRoi to surrender and abandon ship, but LeRoi refuses to believe him. Batman jumps overboard, but LeRoi is trapped as the airship crashes into the ocean and explodes. More than 100 people are killed by LeRoi's fires, but further fatalities and destruction are prevented by the Gotham police and firefighters.

Batman confronts Councilman Franklin Claypool, who confesses to being LeRoi's accomplice and providing him with information for his attack. Claypool secretly owns a large portion of Gotham City's slum housing, which he expected to sell profitably through his proposed redevelopment program, but the program was pushed aside by Tolliver in favor of the fair. LeRoi agreed to target Claypool's properties, allowing Claypool to collect a lucrative insurance payout, but Claypool never intended the deaths that LeRoi's actions caused, and so does not resist when Gordon arrives to arrest him.

Bruce and Julie are walking along a hilltop overlooking the city, when she reveals that she recognized him at the fair, even through his mask. Apprehensively, he asks her what she plans to do, and she replies, what she has always done: continue to love and encourage him, especially now that they both agree that Gotham still needs Batman.

## Publication history

[edit]

Gotham by Gaslight, which retroactively became the first official Elseworlds publication, was initially released as a 52-page one-shot in February 1989. It was written by Brian Augustyn and pencilled by Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell. Two years later, the 68-page sequel Batman: Master of the Future — also written by Augustyn, but with art by Eduardo Barreto — was released, this time officially labelled as an Elseworlds publication. A second sequel, Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age, was released in June 2024.

In 2006, in the wake of the 2005–2006 storyline Infinite Crisis, the Gotham by Gaslight world was identified as "Earth-19".

Prior to its appearance in Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Gotham by Gaslight (January 2008), the two one-shot issues were collected into one 112-page trade paperback volume (which was released under the same name and with the same Mignola cover as the first one-shot issue).

### Collected editions

[edit]

The two stories have been collected into a trade paperback:

* Gotham by Gaslight, August 2006, DC Comics, ISBN 1-4012-1153-4 (Titan Books, ISBN 1-84576-403-X), collects:
* Gotham by Gaslight, 48 pages, DC Comics, November 1989, ISBN 0-930289-67-6 (Titan Books, December 1989, ISBN 1-85286-265-3)
* Batman: Master of the Future, 63 pages, DC Comics, December 1991, ISBN 1-56389-015-1

## Reception

[edit]

IGN Comics ranked Gotham by Gaslight #12 on a list of the 27 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that "Gotham By Gaslight is a tightly woven mystery that never tries to do too much. Sometimes Elseworlds tales throw in every bit of Batman lore and the Cray computers to boot. Wisely, Augustyn sticks to what makes sense for the story and pulls off one of the better tales in Batman's long history".

Gotham by Gaslight was not the highest-ranking Elseworlds story on the list, as Batman & Dracula: Red Rain ranked higher at #7.[2]

## Spin-offs

[edit]

Main article: Countdown to Final Crisis

Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Gotham by Gaslight (January 2008) and was written by Gotham by Gaslight's original author, Brian Augustyn.[3] The story saw Bob the Monitor accompany Jason Todd, Donna Troy, and Kyle Rayner (the latter three inhabitants of "New Earth") through the Multiverse in search of multiuniversal counterparts to Ray Palmer. The group arrived on Earth-19, the Earth where the Batman of the earlier two Elseworlds storylines acted, where they also encountered this Earth's counterpart of the Blue Beetle and the Man-Bat before they went to the next Earth to continue their search. Their search would take them to worlds populated by characters from other Elseworlds stories, including those seen in the Batman & Dracula trilogy (Earth-43) and Superman: Red Son (Earth-30).

Additionally, the Gotham by Gaslight version of Batman was briefly featured in the limited series Dark Nights: Metal alongside other alternate versions of the character.

## In other media

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is an animated loose adaptation released in 2018.[4] It features Bruce Greenwood as Batman and Jennifer Carpenter as Selina Kyle. The adaptation differs significantly from the original comic, and includes elements from both books.

### Video games

[edit]

* A video game based on the comic book was planned for release by Day 1 Studios (who also developed F.3.A.R.). After THQ failed to secure the rights to the property, the game was canceled.[5] The developers released some concept illustration which revealed the game had a steampunk feel to it while being set in Victorian England and also test footage was released which revealed the misty Gothic settings and the character model for Batman. Reception to the leaked footage and concept illustration was positive, with viewers praising the setting, the cape physics and the different approach the developers were trying to achieve.[6]
* Season pass holders for Batman: Arkham Origins, released in 2013, were awarded a special costume for Batman that was based on Gotham By Gaslight.[7]
* The Gotham by Gaslight version of Batman was also introduced as a playable character in an update to the mobile version of Injustice: Gods Among Us in early 2018.[8]
* Several Gotham by Gaslight characters were playable in the DC universe-themed MOBA Infinite Crisis.

## See also

[edit]

* List of Elseworlds publications
* List of steampunk works
* From Hell, Alan Moore's Ripper-based graphic novel
* The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Moore's Victorian-era tales of derring-do
* Robur the Conqueror, a character created by Jules Verne that LeRoi appears to have been based on

Other Elseworlds that involve Jack the Ripper:

* Batman: Two Faces
* JLA: The Island of Dr. Moreau
* Wonder Woman: Amazonia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ McMillan, Graeme (29 March 2024). "Batman returns to the Victorian age in Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age (and more!) this June". Retrieved 13 March 2024.
2. ^ "The Top 27 Best Batman Comics and Graphic Novels". IGN. 1 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
3. ^ Contino, Jennifer M. (November 12, 2007). "Augustyn by Gaslight! Brian returns to Gotham". ComicCon.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
4. ^ Lovett, Jamie (7 August 2017). "DC Animation's Next Movie Revealed". Comic Book.com. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
5. ^ "Gotham By Gaslight Video Shows Canceled Elseworlds Batman Game". February 27, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
6. ^ Cummins, Chris (February 29, 2012). "This Gotham by Gaslight Game Looks Great, Doesn't Exist". Toplessrobot.com. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
7. ^ Sarkar, Samit (26 September 2013). "Batman: Arkham Origins season pass available for $19.99". Polygon. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
8. ^ Musgrave, Shawn (19 February 2018). "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Vainglory', 'Marvel Avengers Academy', 'Portal Knights', 'Dashy Crashy', and More". TouchArcade. Retrieved 25 March 2018.

## External links

[edit]

* Gotham by Gaslight trade paperback details Archived 2006-10-25 at the Wayback Machine at DC Comics.com

* v
* t
* e

Batman publications and storylines

Current series|

* Absolute Batman
* Batgirl
* Batman
* Batman '89
* Batman: The Brave and the Bold
* Batman/Superman: World's Finest
* Batman and Robin
* Birds of Prey
* Detective Comics (#27)
* Catwoman
* Harley Quinn
* Nightwing
* Poison Ivy

Completed
ongoing series|

* Azrael
* Batgirl and the Birds of Prey
* Batman (comic strip)
* Batman '66
* Batman and the Outsiders
* Batman: Arkham Unhinged
* Batman: The Brave and the Bold
* Batman: The Dark Knight
* Batman: Gotham Knights
* Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight
* Batman: Shadow of the Bat
* Batman: Streets of Gotham
* The Batman Adventures
* The Batman Chronicles
* Batman Beyond
* Batman Confidential
* Batman Family
* Batman Incorporated
* The Batman Strikes!
* Batman/Superman
* Batwing
* Batwoman
* The Brave and the Bold
* Gotham by Midnight
* Gotham Central
* Gotham City Sirens
* Gotham Girls
* Grayson
* The Huntress
* The Joker
* Man-Bat
* Mother Panic
* The Penguin
* Red Hood/Arsenal
* Red Hood and the Outlaws
* Red Robin
* Robin
* Robin: Son of Batman
* Superman/Batman
* Tim Drake: Robin
* We Are Robin
* World's Finest Comics

Completed
miniseries|

* Anarky
* Batman: Anarky
* Batman & Dracula trilogy
* Batman: Arkham City
* Batman: Battle for the Cowl
* Batman Black and White
* Batman: Cacophony
* Batman: Creature of the Night
* Batman: The Cult
* Batman: Damned
* Batman: The Dark Prince Charming
* Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
* Batman: Earth One
* Batman: Gates of Gotham
* Batman: GCPD
* Batman: Gotham County Line
* Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City
* Batman: The Imposter
* Batman: The Knight
* Batman: Orpheus Rising
* Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
* Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity
* Batman: Three Jokers
* Batman: Thrillkiller
* Batman: Turning Points
* The Batman Who Laughs
* Batman: Year 100
* Bat-Mite
* Dark Knights of Steel
* First Wave
* Flashpoint Beyond
* Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons
* Gotham Underground
* Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy
* Man-Bat
* Penguin: Pain and Prejudice
* Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death
* Red Hood: The Lost Days
* Section 8
* Superman & Batman: Generations
* Trinity
* The Untold Legend of the Batman

| Batman Eternal|

* Batman Eternal
* Batman and Robin Eternal

|

Dark Moon Rising|

* Batman and the Monster Men
* Batman and the Mad Monk

The Long Halloween|

* Batman: The Long Halloween
* Batman: Dark Victory
* Catwoman: When in Rome

Millerverse|

* The Dark Knight Returns
* The Dark Knight Strikes Again
* The Dark Knight III: The Master Race

Murphyverse|

* Batman: White Knight
* Curse of the White Knight
* White Knight Presents: Red Hood
* Beyond the White Knight

Year One|

* Batgirl: Year One
* The Riddler: Year One
* Two-Face: Year One
* Robin: Year One

One-shots|

* Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
* Castle of the Bat
* Dark Knight Dynasty
* Dark Night: A True Batman Story
* Death of Innocents
* Digital Justice
* Gotham Noir
* Holy Terror
* Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop
* In Darkest Knight
* The Killing Joke
* KnightGallery
* Leatherwing
* The Man Who Laughs
* Nine Lives
* Noël
* Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl
* The Joker: Devil's Advocate
* Batman/Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows
* Son of the Demon
* The 12 Cent Adventure
* Two Faces
* War on Crime
* The Batman Adventures: Mad Love
* The Berlin Batman
* Gotham by Gaslight
* Joker
* Poison Ivy: Thorns
* Red Hood vs. Anarky
* Superman and Batman: World's Funnest

Storylines|

| 1950s|

* "The Man Behind the Red Hood!"
* "The Joker's Millions"

|

1970s|

* "The Joker's Double Jeopardy"

1980s|

* "Batman: Year One"
* "Year Two"
* "Batman: A Death in the Family"
* "Year Three"
* "The Man Who Falls"
* "Anarky in Gotham City"

1990s|

* "Gothic"
* "The Return of the Joker"
* "Prey"
* "The Last Arkham"
* "Knightfall"
* "Contagion"
* "Legacy"
* "Cataclysm"
* "No Man's Land"

2000s|

* "Joker: Last Laugh"
* "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive"
* "Hush"
* "Broken City"
* "War Games"
* "City of Crime"
* "Under the Hood"
* "War Crimes"
* "Face the Face"
* "Batman and Son"
* "The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul"
* "Batman R.I.P."
* "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?"
* "Batwoman: Elegy"

2010s|

* "Bruce Wayne: The Road Home"
* "The Black Mirror"
* "Night of the Owls"
* "Death of the Family"
* "Zero Year"
* "Endgame"
* "Robin War"
* "The Button"
* "Dark Nights: Metal"

2020s|

* "The Joker War"
* "Dark Nights: Death Metal"
* "Fear State"
* "Shadows of the Bat"
* "Shadow War"
* "Gotham War"

Intercompany
crossovers|

* Batman/Aliens
* Batman/Hellboy/Starman
* Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham
* Batman/Spawn: War Devil
* Batman & Spider-Man: New Age Dawning
* Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
* Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures
* Batman/The Spirit
* Batman Versus Predator
* Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham
* Daredevil/Batman: Eye for an Eye
* Ghost/Batgirl: The Resurrection Machine
* Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica
* Spawn/Batman
* Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator

Incomplete|

* All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder
* Batman: The Widening Gyre

Related topics|

* Batman: Child of Dreams
* Batman: Haunted Knight
* Batman Legends
* DC Comics – The Legend of Batman
* Elseworlds
* The Further Adventures of The Joker

Category
Publications are listed alphabetically by published titles. Storylines are listed in publication order. Compiled without respect for canon or "current" continuity.

* v
* t
* e

Jack the Ripper in fiction and other media

Seminal works|

* The Lodger
* Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution

Letters|

* "Dear Boss" letter
* "From Hell" letter
* "Saucy Jacky" postcard

Film|

* Waxworks (1924)
* The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)
* Pandora's Box (1929)
* The Lodger (1932)
* The Lodger (1944)
* Room to Let (1950)
* Man in the Attic (1953)
* Jack the Ripper (1959)
* Lulu (1962)
* A Study in Terror (1965)
* Hands of the Ripper (1971)
* Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)
* The Ruling Class (1972)
* What the Swedish Butler Saw (1975)
* Jack the Ripper (1976)
* Murder by Decree (1979)
* Time After Time (1979)
* Jack's Back (1988)
* Edge of Sanity (1989)
* Deadly Advice (1994)
* Ripper (2001)
* From Hell (2001)
* Bad Karma (2002)
* Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street (2002)
* Shanghai Knights (2003)
* Ripper 2: Letter from Within (2004)
* The Lodger (2009)
* Holmes & Watson. Madrid Days (2012)
* Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)

Parody|

* Bizarre, Bizarre (1937)
* The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town (1976)
* Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)

Music|

* "Jack the Ripper" (1963)
* "The Ripper" (1976)
* "Killer on the Loose" (1980)
* The Somatic Defilement (2007)
* Jack the Ripper vs. Hannibal Lecter (2014)

Stage|

* Earth Spirit (1895 play)
* Pandora's Box (1904 play)
* Lulu (1937 opera)
* The Lodger (1960 opera)
* The Ruling Class (1968 play)

Comics|

* Blood of the Innocent (1985)
* Gotham by Gaslight (1989)
* From Hell (1989-98)
* Wonder Woman: Amazonia (1997)
* The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century (2009)

Literature|

| Sherlock Holmes|

* The Last Sherlock Holmes Story (1978)
* The Whitechapel Horrors (1992)
* Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorized Biography (2005)
* Dust and Shadow (2009)
* The Ripper Legacy (2016)

|

Short stories|

* "A Toy for Juliette" (1967)
* "The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World" (1967)

Other|

* A Feast Unknown (1969)
* Time After Time (1979)
* Night of the Ripper (1984)
* Phantom Blood (1987)
* Naomi's Room (1991)
* Anno Dracula (1992)
* A Night in the Lonesome October (1993)
* Jack the Ripper, Light-Hearted Friend (1996)
* Matrix (1998)
* Lost (2001)
* Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed (2002)
* Blood and Fog (2003)
* The Witches of Chiswick (2003)
* Broken (2006)
* Darkside (2007)
* Lifeblood (2007)
* Dracula the Un-dead (2009)
* I, Ripper (2015)
* The Cutthroat (2017)

Television|

| Series|

* Jack the Ripper (1973)
* Jack the Ripper (1988)
* Sanctuary (2007-11)
* Whitechapel (2009-13)
* Ripper Street (2012-17)
* Time After Time (2017)
* Case File nº221: Kabukicho (2019-20)
* Sherlock in Russia (2020)
* Beforeigners (2019-present)

|

Episodes|

* "Wolf in the Fold" (1967)
* "Comes the Inquisitor" (1995)
* "Ripper" (1999)
* "Sanctuary for All" (2008)
* "The Great British Fake Off" (2020)

Other|

* Bridge Across Time (1985 TV film)

Video games|

* Jack the Ripper (1987)
* The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes (1992)
* Ripper (1996)
* Duke Nukem: Zero Hour (1999)
* Shadow Man (1999)
* MediEvil 2 (2000)
* Jack the Ripper (2004)
* Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack the Ripper (2009)
* The Ripper (canceled)
* The Order: 1886 (2015)
* Assassin's Creed Syndicate: Jack the Ripper (2015)
* Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey (2019)

Other|

* Casebook: Jack the Ripper
* Blood!: The Life and Future Times of Jack the Ripper

* Category

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